Power Trip
by dormitos
Summary: Ty Lee learns why trying to slip out of Azula's expectations never works. Written for the Avatar Slash Swap. Read and Review!


A/N: This was done for the excellent Avatar Slash Swap, organized by ali_wildgoose. It's on livejournal, and any Avatar slash fans should check it out. Assignments were given out randomly: I got someone who wanted Azula/Ty Lee, with the prompt word 'taunt'. And here we are!

and always remember: reviews are the best way to fuel authors. environmentally friendly and free!

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Amid the cushioned comfort of her oxenhorse-drawn carriage, the daughter of the Firelord reclined and studied her nails dispassionately. She was going to be seeing a friend of hers from the Academy for the first time in a year and a half, and her heart was not pounding. Ty Lee would be simple and easy to manipulate. She wouldn't be giving Azula any surprises, of that the Fire Princess was sure.

* * *

A week ago the Spidersnake Man had told her there was a noble coming down from the capital. She and the fires wallowing twins (their auras a constant haze of blue ever since that sword swallower they had both liked had left ) had later discussed this with great excitement, the twins pumping Ty Lee for stories of her time among the Fire nobility.

Ty Lee recounted her various adventures and conquests for them wondering which noble would be coming down. Perhaps a member of Ozai's inner court, come down for a relaxing weekend? She vaguely recalled a few of his advisors, but she'd never really had a head for court politics. That had always been more Mai's thing.

Either way, she concluded, they would have been told if someone _really_ important were coming down. Ty Lee decided it was too bad. It would have been nice to see a familiar face.

* * *

"Azula!"

Azula took in the sight before her: Ty Lee,dressed in pink from head to foot, bounding toward her at a breakneck speed. The Fire Princess accepted Ty Lee's hug graciously. "It is so good to see you!" Ty Lee burbled.

"Please, don't let me keep you from... whatever it is you were doing," Azula replied.

Ty Lee rolled backwards and twisted her legs up into the air again, this time resting her weight on her elbows instead of her fingers. She contorted her legs into various poses, and stretched so as to be as limber as possible for tonight's performance. Azula kept on talking.

"I have a proposition for you..."

* * *

Ty Lee let out a sigh and slid the charred headdress off, letting it fall onto the cluttered table in front of her mirror. It had been a hard show – things were _always_ harder when Azula was around, but more interesting too – but she had gotten through it and could rest now.

She'd survived the hardest performance of her career, and received a visit from a childhood friend. All in all, not a bad day! Already she could feel her aura lightening as she looked on the brighter side of things.

"Knock, knock!" called a familiar voice as the door to her dressing room opened. Azula stepped in and pulled the door closed behind her. "I just wanted to congratulate you on an excellent show," the Princess said airily. "I admit, for a second there I was sure that that platypusbear would get you, but you showed me, didn't you?"

Ty Lee giggled at the praise. She suddenly felt giddy, like she had when she first discovered the parallel bars in the older girls' gymnasium back at the Academy. She was in too good of a mood to be all cooped up in a room like this, she wanted to be _outside_!

Azula broke into her thoughts. "I was wondering, actually-"

"Oh, it's too nice to be inside right now! Don't you want to go outside? It's so beautiful!" Ty Lee boosted herself over a chair, landing neatly in front of the door out of her dressing room.

"Actually," Azula said dryly, "I _wanted_ to-"

But Ty Lee had had enough with boring talk, enough of the multiple layers of meaning Azula brought to every discussion. What the Princess needed, she decided, was some fun. She swiftly stepped forward and lay her hands lightly on the other girl's shoulders. Leaning into Azula's suddenly blank face she whispered gleefully, "You'll have to catch me first!"

Ty Lee let go of Azula and stepped back towards the door, then slipped through it. Behind her, she could hear Azula kick over the chair in her room as she started to pursue. Ty Lee giggled again, thinking that she hadn't had this much fun since her Academy days. She sprinted towards the edge of the circle of circus tents. The chase was _on!_

* * *

Azula kicked over Ty Lee's stupid pink poof chair, and slammed through the doorway.

She had known since she had arrived that morning that there was something she had missed about Ty Lee, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. The entire day Ty Lee had been at her air-headed best, offering Azula fire-flakes when she should have _known_ the girl couldn't stand them, trying to convince her to let her hair down, fawning over the boys handling the wild animals.

But during Ty Lee's performance it had become clear again. The power the other girl held, every part of her body a weapon; it was amazing how dangerous Ty Lee could be even as a non-bender. To control such a power would be an amazing investment. _This_ was what she had come to reclaim. She spotted Ty Lee a few tents ahead of her, muscles smooth and perfect as she did a combination of round-offs and flat-out sprints. Azula narrowed her eyes and then smirked, and took off running. Ty Lee's power would be hers, and the victory of this little game would make Ty Lee's inevitable capitulation that much sweeter.

The chase was _on._

* * *

It was night, and that meant Azula held the advantage. She carried a constant light source with her, completely under her control. But if she used it, Ty Lee knew she would be able to see the other girl coming for a mile. All she had to do to win the game was stay ahead of the other girl.

But on the other hand.... this wouldn't be fun if she won it _that_ easily.

* * *

Azula sprinted towards the spot where she had last seen Ty Lee, on the edge of the circus camp. There she stood stock still in the warm night, listening for any noises out of place in that edge of the forest. Concentrating, she could make out a faint swishing sound to her right. It was the sort of sound someone wearing too much silk might make if they were trying to keep quiet. She waited for it to come closer.... closer...

There! She spun around and grabbed for where she knew Ty Lee should be, but came up grasping only air. She heard a giggle behind her and felt a touch on the back of her head. She whipped around in time to see the back of Ty Lee's ridiculous pink silk ensemble head back for the circle of tents.

Oh, so _that_ was the way she wanted it....

* * *

Ty Lee was having trouble running, she wanted to laugh so hard. She had never seen Azula look so surprised as when she had managed to come up from behind her, touch her, and then slip away! She managed a quick look behind her, and saw that Azula had gained ground on her.

Uh-oh.

Ty Lee dove into a somersault that allowed her to pass under the counter of a cabbage vendor's cart and took a sharp left, heading for stone arena the circus used to practice it's animal routines.

* * *

Azula didn't waste any time being subtle; she simply sent a wave of fire before when she reached the vendor's cart and smashed it out of the way, leaving bits of flaming cabbage to smolder on the ground. She followed Ty Lee towards a pavilion of smooth stone walls and an earthen floor. Perfect. There was no where for Ty Lee to hide now.

She entered the area confidently, with a flame held high in her hand to illuminate the pavilion. She frowned when her light fell on nothing but empty stone benches and dusty earth. Surely Ty Lee had to be in here somewhere?

From behind her again, this time to her left, there came a giggle like the last time, and as Ty Lee rushed past she tapped Azula's elbow to let her know she had missed her opportunity for capture. Ty Lee outright _laughed_ as she ran past Azula toward the outer edge of the arena, where she probably planned to use the benches to boost herself over the wall and out into the darkened forest again.

Azula was determined not to let that happen. As amusing as this was, Ty Lee clearly had forgotten who was truly in control here. It was time to remind her. Calling fire to her hands, she sent out a rope of flame to cut off Ty Lee's escape. Though the girl immediately moved in the opposite direction, Azula called forth another rope of fire and sent them quick as her lightning to circle the other girl, keeping her from moving. The fire was bright enough to allow Azula to see every emotion crossing Ty Lee's face as she formulated plans and then discarded them.

Azula stalked towards Ty Lee, directing her fire to herd the other girl until she was flush against one stone wall, with the flames keeping her from breaking out.

Azula came to a stop in front of Ty Lee with a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Whoops! Look like you caught me!" Ty Lee laughed, holding her hands up as though Azula were trying to arrest her. "You win!"

Azula leaned forward, the flames evaporating as she took her concentration away from them. "That's right, I do," she said silkily. Her hands rested on Ty Lee's shoulders, holding the other girl in place as she studied her. "And don't the winners usually get a prize at the end?"

Ty Lee looked at Azula with the same grin she had worn since she had been caught. "Sure," she said, spreading her hands out. "What do you want?"

"Ty Lee," Azula said in a voice full of warning, "has anyone ever told you that you are an awful tease?" She didn't wait for a response, instead leaning forward and pressing her lips to the other girls', _demanding_ a response. The kiss was short and intense, and Ty Lee didn't even try to vie for control of it. She tilted her head instead, inviting Azula to continue.... but Azula instead backed away, looking smug and victorious, as if a perfect plan had come to fruition. She continued to look at Ty Lee, taking in her smooth muscles and the power her body concealed. Finally, she took her hands off of Ty Lee's shoulders and stepped back.

"You really shouldn't tease me, you know," she told Ty Lee in a satisfied tone. "I _always_ get what I want. I'm sure you merely forgot that during our time apart."

Azula turned and headed back towards the cabin she was inhabiting for the night. Over her shoulder she called back to Ty Lee. "We'll be leaving tomorrow at dawn. Pack anything you want to bring and meet us at the start of the trail. We're heading back for the capital."

Fin!

* * *

Thanks for reading :) Hope you liked. If you did, or even if you didn't, drop me a review!


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